Fearful Symmetry
by Exilo
Summary: A stranger comes to the valley with a picture, a sword, and a contract to fulfill. All he's got to do is get Tigress from point A to point B, collect his money, and be done with it. But she's not going to make it easy. Read and review. Heavy on Tigress.
1. Tigress, Tigress

**The idea for this story came about from a conversation I was having over on the forums a long time ago about potential sequels. A lot has changed from the original idea, but a lot also stayed the same as well. Cool, huh? Anyway, without further nonsense, on with the story.**

_Chapter1_

The wolf was marked as an outside from the first moment he stepped into the Valley, even before it was discovered he was a wolf. Firstly, it was his apparel. A long coat stretching a little before his toes, with the collar up turned, hiding some of his lower face. What fur was exposed, on his crown or paws, was shown to be a rusty brown along with a white eye in the left socket and a blue eye in the right. Hands were clawed and ears were pointed, giving him a slight resemblance to Master Tigress, so at first some thought he was a fellow tiger. He was a little taller than the cat master as well, so he towered over the mostly pig population of the valley. A sword, long as a forearm and thin as a dragon's tooth, resided on his belt. Even with a passing glance the blacksmith could tell it was a marvelous weapon.

By now he had gathered a group of curious on lookers. Most kept their distance, save a youth who kicked a ball that bounced and landed in the stranger's path. The youth scurried forth, just as the wolf bent to pick the ball up. He passed it to the youth, patted the piglet's head, and continued on his way. When it was discovered that the stranger's destination was the noodle restaurant, interest in him didn't. The restaurant cleared out immediately, the villagers practically crawling over each other to escape. They crowded around the entrance, standing on each other's shoulders so they may peer into the clearing that served as the eating area.

The stranger took his rapier off his belt and leaned it against the table, before sitting down. The chair was much too small for him, so he kicked it aside and sat, legs folded, awkwardly picking up a pair of chopsticks and trying to hold them between two clumsy fingers.

"Soups on," Po shouted, backing out of the kitchen. Miraculously, he was carrying no less than twelve bowls, two in his paws and the rest balanced on his extended arms, head, protruding gut, and knee, which meant he had to hop along on one leg. Upon seeing the dining area was empty save the stranger, the bowls slowly slipped down, shattering on the ground, noodle and broth spilling along the stone ground, save the two in his hand, which he had a tighter grip on. Po gazed around, at last noticing the stranger, who was still trying in vain to hold the chopsticks properly.

Po walked over, placing one of the bowls in front of him, and taking the chopsticks. "You're not from around here, are you?" the panda asked, tying a rubber band around the stick's top and handing them back to the wolf.

"Vhat vas your first hint?" the stranger asked, lowering the collar and sniffing at the noodles with an extended snout. He took an experimental taste, smiled, and began eating.

"Anyone ever tell you you're bad for business?" Po asked, sitting down across from him. It seemed wasteful to leave the second bowl to grow cold, and he hadn't eaten in about ten minutes, so he began slurping the contents down loudly. "My names Po, what's yours?"

"Verner," the stranger said.

"Verner?"

"No, Verner."

"Verner?" Po confirmed.

The stranger sighed, at last extending a clawed finger and carving his name into the table.

"Oh, Werner," Po read.

"Yes, Verner. And you are the famous kung fu panda?"

Po gave a self conscious chuckle. "Well, I don't like to brag but, but I did beat Pai Lung." Po chuckled again. "What's with the accent? I vant to suck your blood. He he he."

Faster than lighting, Werner pulled his rapier out of the sheath and pressed the flat of the blade to Po's throat. Po reacted instantly, upturning the table and rolling backwards in a surprisingly agile move. He took a few steps back, holding hands at the ready. "Alright, I'm sorry I was making fun of your accent."

Werner stood up, sheathing his blade and placing it back on his belt. "Relax. I get zee accent zing a lot. I vas just testing you, seeing if zee rumors are true. I must say, zat was quite impressive."

"Well, I don't like to brag."

"Ja, you do. My little sister vanted me to get an autograph of zee Furious Five, I vas vondering if zey are at zee temple."

"Uh, Crane is out fishing, and Viper and Mantis are out on the town. I think only Tigress and Monkey are there."

The wolf took one last slurp of the soup before turning and walking off, the crowd parting to let him through. It took Po a whole eight seconds to realize that he hadn't paid.

---

Balled fists smashed into the boulder and, slowly but surely, bits and pieces of the rock chiseling away. Every strike was accompanied by a furious grunt as Master Tigress exerted herself. Her knuckles were bleeding, possibly broken, but she was far from feeling any pain. Such was the way she spent her days.

Monkey, who was watching her a few feet away, was worried about her. There was no doubt she had always been the most dedicated of student, always training with near fanatical dedication, but her present regime was extreme, even for her. She slept a mere four hours a day, if that, and spent the remaining twenty hours tirelessly working towards whatever ridiculous goal she had set for herself. Sure, every now and then she may have a bowl full of rice or a cup of soup, but she wolfed that down in minutes and then went right back.

It was almost painful to watch her. Monkey wished he could do something, say something, but if she did respond, it was just "I'm fine," in a monotone voice.

It was only when the doors to the training garden opened did Tigress stop breaking her knuckles against the boulder. Monkey, from his perch, looked at the stranger, wide eyed, trying to make sense of the long snout and bushy tail and odd apparel, not even noticing the sword kept brazenly on his belt. Tigress saw an enemy. Growling lowly, she crossed the grounds in a few easy bounds and leapt, but the stranger ducked beneath the kick and with a beautiful display of speed drew his rapier and pressed the pointed tip under Tigress' chin. She had to strain to keep her balance, should she fall forward, the blade would easily pierce her windpipe. Should she try to back away, and no doubt the tip would be thrust forward.

"You're tired," Werner explained.

"I'm not," Monkey shouted, bringing his staff down. Werner stepped backwards, the staff passing harmlessly through the air he had prior occupied. The wolf continued his retreat, bending gracefully to avoid the staff, fists and feet that were coming at him from every direction. When given the chance he poked his rapier forward, but with deft grace Monkey bent his abdomen to avoid the point.

"You're pretty good," Werner smiled. "I would expect nothing less from a master."

Monkey changed his stance, putting the staff behind him and extending his free hand in a mocking gesture, meant to lure his opponent into attack. He was sort of a 'bring it on' motion, curling his fingers to this palm. It worked on Po every single time, but the wolf stayed firm and calm and waiting.

The distant pitter patter of tiny feet on stone steps called the attention of both combatants. "Master," the tiger and monkey said in unison, bowing down, the later completely ignoring his opponent. Werner removed a small photograph from his pocket, looked to the red panda, and charged forward, past Tigress or Monkey, rapier stretched forward to run the master through. Yet, for how quick the wolf may be, Shifu was quicker and leapt high, landing gracefully on the flat of the blade. Werner's surprise was overwhelming as he stared, wide eyed at the red panda, who easily kicked the swordsman on the snout. Werner stumbled, sword flaring, and Shifu easily slipped between the swiping metal to put another kick into Werner's stomach. He reeled forward, his chin coming into contact with one of Shifu's knees, and he was flung, landing painfully on his back.

"If you are quite finished, may I ask what this is about?" Shifu said. Werner was slow to get to his feet. He twisted so he was on his belly, then pushed his hands and knees beneath him and lifted himself up, sharp eyes never leaving the red panda, who was waiting very patiently for his opponent to gather to his feet.

"It vould seem that my skills are not sufficient," Werner muttered to himself. He circled, and the master and apprentice masters circled with him, so that he was always kept in front of them. Werner reached into his coat and removed a stick of dynamite from his pocket, calmly throwing it to Shifu.

"Down," Shifu shouted, diving at Tigress and Monkey and pushing them to the ground, shielding them with his tiny body. When nothing happened, he lifted his head and looked to the entrance, too see that the wolf had disappeared, and the dynamite was laying on the ground, unlit. He charged forward, snatching the stick up as he passed it and looked to see the wolf rushing down the winding stairs. Shifu cocked his arm back and threw the dynamite. It spiraled through the air, at last coming into contact with the wolf's left leg and tripping him up. He stumbled down the remaining twenty or so stairs.

"Tigress, Monkey, go retrieve our new friend."

They both gave respectful nods before rushing out of the temple and down the steep stairwell towards the valley.


	2. Burning Bright

_Chapter 2_

"Has he said anything?" Mantis asked from his perch on Monkey's shoulder.

"No," Tigress said, arms folded over her chest. Her eyes and stature was calm, but her tail, an aspect of her body she did not exercise as much control over, twitched agitatedly.

"Do we even know his name?"

Tigress' eyes focused through the bars and into the cell, and the sole occupant. His sword and coat were mockingly hung on a hook on the opposing wall. With his wrists and ankles shackled to the wall, he couldn't pose much of a threat, but Tigress saw no sense in underestimating him, so she kept herself slightly ahead of the group. To get through them, he would have to go through her. "Werner," she said. "Po learned that when he gave him noodles."  
"Po gave him noodles? Somehow that doesn't strike me as weird."

Tigress sighed. "Just give me five minutes with him and I'll learn everything we need."

"No," Shifu said, entering the temple's basement. "You, wolf, may I ask why it is you seek to kill me?"

Werner lifted his shaggy head. "Why does a hired blade seek to kill someone like you, Herr Shifu?"

"Who hired you?"

"Why should I tell you? Keeping secrets is important in my line of work."  
Tigress snarled, slamming herself into the bars. "Because if you don't I will tear off your-"

"Tigress," Shifu said sharply. "Calm yourself." The master took a deep breath before leaving the basement with several heavy steps.

"Who hired you?" Shifu asked again.

"If I tell you, vill you let me go?"

"If you tell me, I'll have no reason to keep you. I don't care about the dog, I want the master."

The wolf sighed, perhaps weighing the value of his reputation against his continued captivity. "I'm sure you are familiar vith Herr Alexander?"

"Alexander?"

"He's got a camp five klicks to the south of this valley, in a cave behind a vaterfall. That's vere I met him, and that's vere I was supposed to rendezvous with him once I took care of you. He gave me until sunset tomorrow. You should still find him zere, he would have no reason to leave." The wolf leaned back comfortably. "Now you will let me out of here?"

"If your information proves truthful, I will have you released. If it doesn't, you will be sent over to Chorh-Gom Prison and locked away in a deep, dark cell until the end of your days. Understand, wolf?"

"You'll find vat you're looking for zere," Werner smiled.

---

"I know the place the wolf is referring to," Shifu said. He looked forward to his students, wide eyed and hanging on his every word. "It's an old cave that Master Oogway used to take me to when I was still an apprentice."

"Who is this Alexander guy?" Po asked.

Shifu sighed. "I'm sure you are familiar with the Great Invasion?"

Po looked about nervously, and the master shook his head. "Many years ago, there was a Great Invasion, armies of foreigners poured into our lands for no reason other than they thought of us as a primitive people to conquer. And conquer they did. They laid waste to our lands and, well, it is not my intention to relive the details. The point I am trying to make is the most brilliant, and vicious, of all these invaders was Winston Alexander. He led his armies across our lands, carving a path of destruction where ever he went. I, and others, were assembled to combat him and his armies. But long was the road to victory, and hard. We barely managed to defeat his minions, but Alexander himself was never caught. He retreated, to his homeland where we could not reach, and has never been seen ever again."

"You think it's the same guy?" Po asked.

"I do not know. He hasn't surfaced in years. I long assumed that he had died during another campaign or even of old age. Regardless, if it is him, or if it is someone who has taken his name, something must be done. He, or any of his followers, are far too dangerous to be allowed to walk this land free."

"When can we leave?" Tigress asked.

"Tigress," he asked. "May I speak to you in private?"

She looked to her master, confused, but of course said, in a respectful way, "Yes."

---

The wood squeaked beneath Master Shifu's paws, no matter how gentle his steps were. The living quarters were older than he was, and that was old. Next time Po screwed up he would have the panda re-board all the floors. That would hopefully take care of the annoying noise.

Tigress' quarters were on the right side, beside Viper's. Second room from the door. He stepped in without knocking to find the feline master balancing on one leg, her other pulled up so her knee and rested on her abdomen, and her arms folded over her chest, fingers interlaced. A single eye opened, expecting to see Crane or Monkey, but upon seeing Shifu planted both feet on the ground and bowed. "Master?"

"Are you frustrated that I am not allowing you to accompany us to the cave?"

"Yes master," she said. No point in lying to him. He could always tell.  
"Tigress, I have known you since you were a child, and I have always sensed a great determination to achieve in you. That is your strength, but that is also your weakness. I sense the same darkness that I saw in Tai Lung as in you. The same aggressiveness. The same dark resolve."

"No master. We are not the same."

"No, he sought power for the sake of power. You seek power to protect those you care for, and that is noble an intention. But you both seek power, and until you realize the danger of that, I would like you to remain here."

"Master, please, I understand the dangers of power."

He placed a hand on her knee, which do to the relationship of their size was the most he could do. "This is not a punishment. I fear that the wolf's comrades may come to get him. I put my faith in you to keep him here."

"Yes master."

"And most importantly, I want you to be safe."

She smiled. "Yes master."

---

They left the following morning: Master Shifu, Po, and Viper. Mantis riding comfortably on Monkey's shoulder. Crane gliding a few feet ahead of the party. Tigress saw them off with a bitter sense of resentment and acceptance. She didn't feel like training, seeing how exhausted she was from so many days with a minimum of sleep. There was only one door into the temple, and that could be barricaded with a thick log of wood should the situation call for it. She would be vulnerable as she slept, so she put the barricade up, to keep the door closed, before retiring to her personal quarters.

---

Werner had been sleeping as well, but woke to the sound of fabric ruffling, and looked to his greatcoat as a subtle bulge in the tail began to pulse. Fabric tore and a tiny albino head popped out of the opening, sharp crimson eyes skimming the cell and at last focusing on Werner. Annoyed, he lifted his hands and shook them so that his shackles rattled together.

The rabbit nibbled at the small opening and wiggled her body out, landing clumsily on the floor. "I have to say," she muttered. "I honestly didn't think this plan would work."

"Ven vill you learn to trust me?"

"When you stop referring to me as your emergency food supply." The rabbit leapt high into the air, knocking a pair of keys off a high hook and landing gracefully on the ground. Carrying the keys, she squeezed through the bars and offered them to Werner, who undid his shackles and brushed himself off, lifting the rabbit up by the loose skin on her neck and placing her on his shoulder.

"I didn't hurt you ven I fell down the stairs, did I Alice? I had to sell it."

"Not as bad as you have before," she said, cracking the muscles in her neck. "What was really hard was stuffed in that secret pocket. How long has it been?"

"Three days I think."

He put on his coat, Alice the rabbit hopping into the air as he slipped it onto his shoulders, and landed gracefully. "We going to get the target?" she asked.

He looked over his rapier, before sheathing it on his belt and walking up the stairs, out of the basement.

---

Werner lifted one of Tigress' hands and allowed gravity to pull it down to the mattress, hitting with a muffled smack. "She is out," Alice noted.

The wolf took out a small plastic bottle from one of his coat's hidden pockets and gently spread it on her lips. Sensing something, she instinctually lapped at the moisture.

"That vill keep her from getting up for at least twelve hours," Werner explained, hoisting her up and draping her over his free shoulder. "Ve should be able to make some good distance."

"Whatever you say."

**I hate having to include chapters like this, they are pure business: just to get everything in order, set the stage and such. Sorry for the boring read, but please understand, it was necessary. And thank you FalconMage or Thanatos or whatever you want to be called. Your support is a huge help, and really gives me the drive to improve what I've already written.**


	3. In the forests

_Chapter 3_

"There is nothing here." Po always had a nasty habit of stating the obvious.

"We are all aware of that," Crane said. "If he knew we were coming, he would have left in a hurry. There would be something left. Firewood. A bowl. A grain of rice. Anything. But there's nothing here." He brushed a wing over the ground beneath his feet. "Not even any footprints."

Shifu rested his head in his hand. "This is just a diversion."

---

Master Tigress woke with a headache, the likes of which she had never had before. Even when she was much younger and Monkey failed to pull a blow with his staff and gave her a concussion, the pain was never like this. Because it wasn't something physical, so she had no tolerance for it. Some of the towns people talked of hangovers, and described it as an indiscernible pounding in the back of their eyes, which was exactly what she felt now.

She didn't squirm at first, her training told her to wait and analyze her surroundings before anything else. Her vision was awash with olive drab fabric that she somehow recognized as the greatcoat belonging to the wolf that had attacked the temple before. But how she had gotten into this compromising position was beyond her. The wolf didn't know she was awake. His stride didn't change in the slightest, and he was carrying on a conversation with a second party, someone she could see.

"I'm telling you," the wolf said. "Vee can trust Alexander."

Tigress craned her head slightly upwards and to the side, taking notice of the furry white ball that occupied the wolf's other shoulder. A rabbit. "And I'm telling you," she said. "We can't trust him."

"You don't know him."

"I know his kind. Selfish, ruthless, doesn't care who he hurts."

"So it's like trusting me."

"I don't trust you," the rabbit shouted.

"All vee have to do is deliver the kitty cat to Alexander and vee get our money. Vith the paycheck vee vill be collecting, vee can retire early. Then you do vatever you vant, I do vatever I vant, it'll be fun."

"Its just," the rabbit said, with a slight whimper.

Without warning, Tigress was thrown down onto the ground. She managed to swallow a scream and it only came out as a confused mew, which the wolf passed as sleeping mumbles. "Ve're making good time. Lets relax. This kitty cat veighs more than she looks."

"Well, she's awake now. She can walk," the rabbit said. Tigress opened an eye to see the snow white lagomorphs standing a few feet from her whiskers. Her ruse found out, Tigress worked to move herself to a seat position. Hands around her ribs, the wolf hoisted her to her feet, though he was visibly straining. He was a slim creature, lacking finely developed muscle that laced her form.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"As I said, I am Verner. This is my comrade, Alice. Alice, don't get too close. She's worth more than you are."

The rabbit took a few steps back.

"Who are you working for?" Tigress asked.

"Also as I said, Herr Alexander. You really should pay more attention ven people talk."

The wolf lifted the rabbit and placed her comfortably on his shoulder, drew his rapier and put the tip under Tigress's throat. "Now, come along."

Tigress leapt suddenly, swinging her shackled wrists under herself and bringing them to her front. Werner thrust forward, but Tigress parried with her chains, surprising him, throwing him off balance, and she stretched her arms at the rabbit, who was occupying all her attention with staying on her perch and not falling to the ground. When she felt the fur and brittle bones crunch between her fingers, she leapt backwards, holding her struggling quarry in her hands, ready to retch the rabbit apart at a moment's notice. Of course she wouldn't, but the wolf had no way of knowing that.

"Werner," Alice whined, a moment before the grip crushed the breath from her lungs.

"Give me the keys to these shackles, nice and slow, or you'll have to dig a very small grave."

"Werner, please, no," the rabbit begged.

"Put down the weapon," Tigress hissed. "Or else."

The wolf wound the arm that held the blade back. Even Tigress couldn't see the steel, but she heard the whistle as it cut through the air, and something warm seeped into her paws. With a sickening wretch, she dropped the rabbit, who fell to the soft earth, tiny hands gripping her opened throat, redness staining her paws and chest.

Tigress just stood there dumbly, eyes locked with the pathetic specimen that lay bleeding before her. Of course, she should have run, or pressed an attack as the wolf bent to pick up his dying comrade. He held her like he would a child, cradling her, gently batting away the paws that tried so hard to stop the bleeding. "I told you to be careful," he said, almost sadly. "And you know that bounty is only for her, minimal damage. I won't lose it for your sake."

Alice the rabbit shuddered once, writing with the last of her strength, then lay still. Werner took his time to dig a small hole, claws digging into the soft earth and displacing handfuls, until he set the tiny body down and buried her. It took minutes, maybe hours, and still Tigress couldn't run.

Clapping his hands to shake out the excess dirt from his fur, he drew his blade and placed the tip into Tigress' throat. "Now come along."

And Master Tigress couldn't begin to fathom doing anything else.

**Werner went through some pretty intense changes as I was writing this. Originally he was just the regular anti-hero. He was going to get betrayed by his employer (Alexander), help Tigress escape, fight alongside her against Alexander and his minions, then mysteriously disappear in the last chapter. But I had already done that anti-hero thing with Ridley in ****Armor**** (see profile), and I wanted to do something different for this. So I turned Werner much more villainous. And at the same time, I wanted to stay away from that villain archetype where right off the bat you know he's a bad guy. He's doesn't have the snake like scar over his eye, he doesn't enter the valley and set fire to a building. I wanted him to be likable and charismatic, even quirky with his accent, and the murder is meant to come as a shock. But you still like him cause he's so quirky, don't you?**


	4. of the night

**I wanted to post this yesterday, but i just had so much work to do that i didn't have time to do the edits. Here now, enjoy.**

_Chapter 4_

"You," Tigress started, and yet she couldn't bring herself to finish.

"Yes I did," Werner said, giving a slight tug of the leash that now adorned the cat master's neck. Such a degrading situation. But she was still tired and hungry from her regime, her limbs were still weak from the drugs the wolf had given her. Despite all her training, she was still weak enough that he could take her. Master Shifu had taught her the virtue of patience, but it was hard to do nothing, to follow, but she just had to stay calm, to wait.

"But how could you?"

"Do it to a comrade, or do it at all? You are as much to blame as I. It vas you that took my dear sveet Alice hostage. It vas you that gave me no choice. Undoing your bonds is not an option. Simple as zat."

"No," Tigress snapped suddenly.

"You held Alice's life in your hands. If you vere not prepared for this outcome, you should have remained submissive."

When she refused to budge, no matter how hard he yanked the leash, the wolf drew his rapier and opened a gash on her cheek. She came along after that.

"It's a beautiful sword, isn't it?" he asked, holding up his blade with his free hand, then swiping it through the air to make a slight whistling noise. "I wish there was a story behind it; I pulled it from a stone or it was forged by an ancient weapon-smith to strike down the gods, but no, it's just a regular sword. Not even an heirloom. I never knew my parents, did you?"

He sighed, looking to Tigress who stared at the ground before her paws as she walked.

"You could say something."

"What would you like me to say?"

He stopped, looking forward to the cascading river that served as a barrier between where they where and where they had to be. "Vell, you could start by explaining to me vere the bridge vent. I just crossed it a vile ago, vere did it get to?"

A powerful blow struck the back of his head, knocking him down, his paw loosening around the leash, and he saw the striped cat dive into the water. Snarling, he threw aside his coat, secured his blade to his belt, and leapt in after her.

Tigress was certainly strong, stronger than the wolf. But her hands where bound behind her back and the current was fierce, and all her strength was focused on keeping her head free of the water. Werner, on the other hand, aided by the momentum, cut through the water, closing the distance between he and his quarry in mere moments. He reached out and took a firm grip of the skin on the back of the jungle cat's neck. Then, with all his might, he fought the current, legs kicking, free arm struggling to gain inches. Bit by bit, he grew closer to the coast, until at last he washed upon the land. He stumbled along, dragging Tigress out of the wetness, before collapsing to his hands and knees. He choked out the water he had swallowed, heaving to catch his breath, shaking the arm that had caught on a rock in an attempt to give it some feeling.

Tigress vomited a bit, then again as a stiff kick caught her in the side. Werner struck her hard, and she rolled onto her back, legs curled to fend off another hit.

"Now you've cost me a partner, a blade, and my best coat," Werner growled. All he had now where his pants, his slim chest exposed and heaving, his fur slick and damp. "The bounty on your head barely covers those expenses, and Herr Alexander will not be giving me a bonus. I won't allow you to cost me anything else, understand?"

He shook a moment, to rid himself of the excess moisture, kicked her again and ordered to her feet. It was an agonizing process. Every muscle in her body screamed to just stay down. The fact that she didn't have her arms to right herself didn't help matters, and Werner wasn't going to help her. In fact he knocked her down to her back every few tries, just to be mean. After what seemed like an eternity, she somehow managed to get to her feet, and was going to proceed, but stopped when she noticed the three kits that blocked their way. Werner turned, and for the first time saw them.

They were young, small, stringy things. Each wore scraps of cloth over their muzzles to conceal the lower half of their face, as if either the tiger or the wolf would recognize them anyway. They dressed in rags, their fur patched and lacking the luster that foxes usually had, their eyes glazed and tired with spider webs of red through the white. She noted one was even missing his left ear. Another, a scar across the tummy. The third had a lump beneath the patched fur of his jaw, and countless other welts on his arms. For the first time, she realized just how far she was from the Valley, to encounter bandits such as this. And children no less. Not real bandits at all, just hungry orphans who hoped to scare some traveler out of his rice.

"Your gold," the lead one said. He looked to be the oldest, but was barely into his growing years. He was the one missing his ear. So small and weak and fragile. He had no idea who he was dealing with.

"We have no gold," Tigress said quickly. "Please, just let us pass. We don't want to fight."

Werner gave her an annoyed stare, and then looked back at the trio of kits.

"Your gold," the leader said, lifting his machete, the tip displacing the soaked fur at Werner's throat.

There was that speed again. The wolf took the youth by the wrist and twisted, and there was a pop like opening an air tight jar, followed by a wailing scream. But the scream was cut short, as Werner struck the kit across the snout. The other two just froze, unable to run, unable to move, even as Werner picked up the machete and approached with slow ease. One ran forward, swinging blindly, and the wolf parried with no effort before breaking the flat of the blade across his jaw. Then a kick to the stomach, the machete's handle to the back of the neck, and the kit lay still.

Werner approached the last, ready to inflict any array of harm upon the frightened child, who just stood there, on the verge of tears. Tigress realized that it was a girl, too young to have developed any feminine characteristics. Only the shape of her cheek bones, the slightest curve of her hips, revealed the possibility of what would one day be a woman.

Tigress tackled Werner, to the ground, trying to use her girth to keep him pinned as her arms were still tied behind her back. "Go," she screamed to the vixen, but in doing so left her open to the wolf, who slapped an open hand across the fresh gash on her cheek. It wasn't very painful, but it was a sudden sting that allowed him to throw her away. He caught up to the vixen, who had only begun to flee, caught her by the tail in fact and dropped a foot into her spine. A fist put her into a submissive recoil. He lifted her by the collar of the shirt, and dragged her along so that she was before Tigress.

"Kill her," she snarled. "And I will kill you."

"And if I let her go, you von't?"

"Yes."

"If I do not kill her with my hands, you vill cease this ridiculous passive resistance and come along quietly?"

"If you do not kill her, I will come along to where you want me. If you put her down and she still breathes, I will come. But if you throw her off a cliff or in the river or put the blade down then drop her on it, I'll kill you. I swear it."

Werner thought to himself, weighing his options. He drove a punch into her stomach and let the vixen fall, wheezing and gasping on the ground. She whined, pained, puking and slobbering before falling unconscious. Wounded, but alive.

Werner looked back to Tigress. "Now come along."


	5. What immortal hand or eye

_Chapter 5_

"About time," Werner said with a slight shiver, and a shake to free himself of the residual moisture that still clung to his fur. "Zee days are blazing, but zee nights are cold. Why I hate coming down here."

Tigress would never admit that she was freezing as well. She hadn't even shaken herself dry, considering that a show of weakness. Her fur was glistened with an icy sheen. She had long lost any feeling in her tail and toes, and it was only by constantly flexing her fingers did she knew that they were still attached to her. Her ears felt as if they were about to crack right off. "Is this were Alexander is?"

"No, zis is just someplace vee can get supplies. Perhaps I can get a new coat and sword, though I doubt it." Werner looped behind Tigress and cut her bindings with the machete he had taken off one of the unconscious (or possibly dead) kits. She took a moment to rub her sore wrists, before looking to the wolf, confused. "It'll look suspicious if you go in vith a leash on. But let me make something clear, if you run, I von't follow. But I vill slaughter every living soul in that little town, understand?"

"Who is Alexander?" she asked again.

Werner sighed, continuing forward into the town. "Herr Alexander is an old varlord from zee Dark Continent. Hasn't your master told you this all already?"

"But why does he want me?"

"I don't know," he admitted. "He was defeated by your master, perhaps it's a matter of vengeance. Perhaps he wants to make you into a nice coat. I never understood vengeance myself, nothing to be gained."

"You don't even know why you are doing this?"

"I am doing zis for zee gold zat Alexander has promised me. What other reason do I need?"

Such a strange creature, this wolf was. "I understood Tai Lung." She didn't know why she was talking, perhaps the curiosity had gotten the better of her. Her master always taught her of the power of knowledge, this seemed important. "What makes someone like you? What was added to your childhood that would create what you are now? I've never seen anyone like you. Just hollow inside."

Werner took her by the throat and pushed her back, tripping her legs so that she landed on the ground, with him over her, putting a knee into her diaphragm to stop her from taking any deep breathes and placing the blade at her throat. He was so fast. She had to figure out a way to counter that speed if she were ever to defeat him. "I am not your study case; I am not your path to enlighten. Ask me something like that again, and I will kill you, my payment be damned."

He snarled, hoisting her up, and ordered her on her way.

The innkeeper was a ratly, monkey type of thing, her fur mostly grey, but there were noticeable patches of black and white peppered throughout her pelt. Her eyes had bandit mask like markings, which gave her a mischievous look, even though she was doing absolutely nothing hostile. She was a lemur, Tigress remembered she had seen pictures of them during her studies when she was younger. Shifu had a great knowledge of other cultures, other species, from his extensive travels over the world.

"One room," Werner said with a gentle smile and a kind eye, placing a single gold coin onto the table.

"Of course sir," the lemur said cheerfully. Every so often, she looked towards Tigress, though when she realized that Tigress was looking right back, she quickly returned to her keys on the hook. "Second room down the hall sir, have a nice stay."

Werner cocked his head, and like an obedient kitten, Tigress followed after. She hadn't been in the room for all of ten seconds before something forceful struck the back of her head. She was stunned and dazed, casting about, until her legs were pulled out from under her, and she smacked against the floor. She was vaguely aware as Werner looped her wrist and ankles behind her back and hogtied her in the most ignoble of ways. Even worse than the leash, at least with the leash she was standing.

"Stay here," he muttered, before leaving the room.

With a great deal of effort, Tigress at last managed to shift from her belly to her back. But she found this position even more uncomfortable, putting an unnecessary amount of strain on her shoulders and thighs, so she rolled onto her side and put her head down. Closing her eyes, she breathed deep, and did her best to release her minds of the burdens her body was now writhed with. Her muscles were so sore and tired. Her head was pounding, from which of the number of wounds she wasn't sure.

But all that left her as meditation deepened, and her thoughts turned from pains of the flesh to worries of the soul. Through this all, she couldn't stop thinking about her family. Not her blood family, the one she could no longer remember. How she had come to live in the temple she didn't know: dropped on the doorsteps as a cub, or did her master rescue her from some horrific ordeal and took her in as his own, or saved her from a life time in an orphanage? It had been so long she couldn't remember.

Her mind raced with dangers, not what she was faced with, but what if Tai Lung returned. Oh, of course Po had neutralized him once, but the snow leopard was far too skilled to lose to the same unorthodox tactics a second time. He would trample the chubby panda as a child would a pile of autumn leaves. He would rend and rip the pudgy stomach with no difficulties. Or worse. What if Tai Lung wasn't the threat? What if he remained imprisoned? What if some new danger emerged, the likes of which even Shifu had never seen. What if the earth opened and spilled forth a legion of demons or the dragons returned to raze the lands? What if…she just had to stop thinking like that.

She was still on the ground, lost in thought, when Werner returned with a bundle of food in his arms. He looked at her with passing interest, before moving onto the bed and laying the assorted morsels down. He snatched up a loaf of bread and nibbled at it tenderly, before looking back to Tigress. Popping the rest into his mouth and swallowing, he walked over to the closet and pulled out a towel.

His touch made her quiver, but she couldn't deny how pleasing it was to have her fur dried, and it was eerie how tender he could be when he wanted to. He didn't hurt her sensitive ears as he dried the thin skin between two fingers, then he worked at massaging the feeling back into her tail and toes. Noticing her contentment, he quickly said, "Can't have you catching pneumonia, and I haven't got the right tools to amputate any limbs."

When he was finally done, her fur was still damp, but that painful shiver every time a wind blew had left her. The warm air of the morning could do the rest. He took another roll from the pile and munched on it. Try as she might she couldn't stop the drool from dripping between her lips and forming a shallow pool on the floor. Werner snorted, as he selected a loaf and walked over, lowering to his haunches before the cat master.

"You don't deserve zis," he explained calmly, holding the roll beneath her snout. "But Herr Alexander doesn't want you harmed too bad. I'm not sure if your ribs poking out of your chest counts as harm, but the last thing I need is for you to collapse when you are standing before him."

Her stomach burned, but she gave the bread a cold stare and looked away. How her mouth watered. She slurped at the saliva and cringed her eyes closed as Werner taunted her cruelly. She did not want to eat. She did not want to owe something to the wolf. Her stomach cringed and muscles screamed for sustenance. She would collapse soon, she knew that much. She would be lucky if she even made it through the night. She was so hungry, what could one bite do? What was the harm to give into this little weakness? This all too natural of needs.

Werner must have grown bored with her resistance, because with a snarl he dropped the roll onto the ground and turned toward the bed. Taking his machete off his belt, he rested it on the side table before lying down. By how he breathed, low and shallow, she guessed he had fallen asleep rather quickly. He must have been tired after all. If she tried to escape, he would wake up, but escape wasn't her concern. She had much more basic needs to fulfill first.

She caught the loaf in her jaw by lunging her head forward, and dragged herself back, taking large bites and wolfing them down greedily. She almost choked twice before it slid into her stomach and digested, and with the hunger at least deadened, the full weight of her weakness fell upon. She started to cry.


	6. Dare frame thy

_Chapter 6_

She was so far from the Valley, Tigress wondered if she'd ever find her way back.

She was in a different land now, she could tell by the altered foliage, the altered smells, the blaring sun that was so much more harsh than in her homelands. The sand beneath her feet was even different; it carried a slight crimson hue, the likes of which she had never seen. She had tried so hard to remember the paths that they had taken, the towns they had passed through, but it was impossible to remember every detail, every twists, every turn. She couldn't think like that, she would find her way back, somehow. It had only been three days of travel after all, always going south. Going north, she would eventually find something she recognized, and the Valley from there.

"Finally," Werner grunted, pointing to the walled city that stretched about half a mile away. "Your little stunt in the river put us a day off course. I'm taking it out on you if Alexander decides to dock my pay."

"This is your last chance," Tigress said.

"Last chance for vhat?"

"Undo my shackles, guide me back to the Valley, and I will see to it that you are shown leniency. You do not deserve it by any means, but Shifu is kind and he will understand. You're a rabid dog, it's not your fault you've turned out this way. You don't deserve freedom, but you don't deserve to be put down either."

Werner shook his head, sighing slowly, as he drew the machete from his belt. "You could just come along quietly. I have no problem vith you, I'm just doing a job that I've been paid for. If you vant to go kill Alexander, I vill not stop you, but I vant my money first."

Tigress leapt into the air, leg extended, with such speed the wolf hardly had time to brace himself, lifting his arms to guard, so her paw didn't landing in the center of his chest. But the force was great, and he stumbled back, rolling a good distance away so that she wouldn't be able to harm him while he was on the ground. Keeping firm hand on the machete, he assumed a combative stance, prepared for her next move.

She approached, and he swung, but he was accustomed to using his rapier: long and lithe and thin. The weight of the machete, a larger, cruder weapon, was something he didn't compensate for. Because of this, he lost his delicate balance, and left himself open to a stiff kick into his stomach. He moved back and waited, and Tigress, moving at full speed now, approached. She was focused, prepared, and even though her wrists were bound behind her back, she was ready. He silently regretted feeding her and drying her fur, what he would give for a sick and starved kitty cat right now.

He swung and swiped, but his formally blinding speed was weighed down by the heavy blade. But he was still fast, and he managed to open a gash across her chest before Tigress caught his arm beneath her thigh and put him on the ground. Her other foot smashed down on his knuckles, and he lost grip on his machete. Twisting, he freed himself of her and rolled to his feet.

To be sure, Tigress had the advantage in unarmed combat. When she kicked him, he tried to brace himself, but she broke three ribs. When she punched him across the jaw, he took a moment to spit several teeth out. He was struggling to stay conscious, struggling to hold his guard. The wolf was made of tough stuff. She tried punching him again, but he caught her fist and pulled her close, bringing his own punch into her gut, followed by his forehead to her nose.

What came next were a volley of blows. For the wolf was quick, but he lacked that all too crucial power. When using a blade, he could rely on the sharp edge to slice and dice his foe, but using fists was a different science, one that he clearly was not accustomed to. She allowed the punches to rain, waiting for the moment that she could strike, shrugging off whatever damage he tried to inflict. An opening came when he stopped his attack, only for a moment so he may catch his breath. She leapt and twisted, leg extended, catching his snout with a roundhouse kick that sent him spiraling to the ground. Without missing a step, she kicked him as hard as she could in the ribs until he rolled onto his side, curling into a fetal position, just as she had when he beat her. She paused a moment, foot hovering in the air over his head. To bring it down would cave his cave skull and end his wretched life.

"You vin," Werner moaned. His broken speech was even worse, now that his jaw was hanging loosely out of socket. "You vin." He held his chest, clawing along the ground, though where he could retreat to was anyone's guess. He wasn't even going to the walled city, he was headed to the forest. In his defense, it was possible he had no idea of his direction, but was only moving away.

How she wanted to kill him. Kill him for what she knew he had done, kill him for what he had probably done. If Master Shifu had killed Tai Lung when he had the opportunity, how many lives would have been preserved? Did that justify it? Did that make it right? Let him live, and every life he took from this point on was on her conscious. Kill him, and she was a murderer.

Tigress slipped her bound hands under her and cut them loose with the machete. Holding the blade now, she walked over, and still he tried to flee, at least until she dropped a foot onto his tail. He yelped slightly, but any noise was cut show as the flat of the machete broke across his left ear, bending slightly on impact, and knocking him unconscious. There was still the chance that he would wake up, so she gently lifted his arm by the wrist and positioned it under her instep. With a low pop, she dislocated the shoulder. That would keep him down for the time.

Now for Alexander, whoever he was. She dropped the machete, and with feline strength and speed, sped along the ground, but slowed to a gentle trot, then stopped completely as she noticed that the walled city had no towers, no sentries patrolling the outer wall, no armed guards to slip past. But that, in and of itself, wasn't too bizarre. Oh, it was bizarre of course, but her mind quickly went about rationalizing it. A fortification such as this must have had one entrance, and that wasn't on this side. So she hugged the wall and slithered along to the corner, and peaked at the side. And still no door. No guards. The sun was setting. Could they all be asleep?

The next corner, she peaked and saw no entrance or guards, so for the last side, she was sure to find nothing less than an army guarding a door the size of a mountain. And yet the wall stretched from corner to corner, unblemished by anything that could possibly be an entrance.

A trap door, or passageway, or some sort of illusion. Paw brushing the cold stone, she searched for some sort of protruding rock that hinted at a switch or a chunk of wall that would push in and reveal a door.

Concluding that there was no door, she simply stretched her arms and gripped the rock and lifted herself up, dexterous toes finding a grip themselves. Monkey was certainly the best climber, but Tigress reached the top of the high towering wall with enough ease. She perched, gazing, watching, still expecting a swarm of arrows to rise up and bloated out the sun.

She thought of the valley as she leapt down into the walled city. The two were similar: the squat uniform house, the unpaved walls with the gravel that crunched beneath her feet, the piggish residence waddling from point A to point B. They seemed to move in a trance, completely unaware of Tigress as she moved amongst them. They would bump into her, and sometimes fall, but not even look at her as they rose to their feet and continued scurrying along.

Alexander, or at least the lion she assumed to be Alexander, was something to behold. Upon first glance, all she could do was take in his sheer, massive size. He towered over Tigress, by more than a head, and his build was equally as great: broad shoulders and a deep chest, sculptured muscle highlighted by the tight myrtle uniform. His every curve, every bulging muscle, pushed against the cloth. By the graying of his mane, the creak of his bones as he moved, the glazed look of his eyes, one could eventually tell he was of an advanced age, past his prime. That made him all the more amazing; one couldn't help but wonder what his prime was. He would have dwarfed Tai Lung, she dare say.

He was walking the streets of the town, and upon seeing her, said in a polite, respectful voice, "Master Tigress. I trust you handled the wolf."

"Yes."

"Good. I hoped you would." Alexander smiled.

"Your own man?"

"He is 'my man' in the most rudimentary sense of the term. I knew him since he was a pup. I tried to guide him in the proper direction, but there are some people who are beyond help, lost causes. You see, the world is full of people like him. Cruel, sadistic, unable or unwilling to think of anyone but themselves."

"So you hire him to kidnap me?"

"I couldn't leave to retrieve you myself. I need to protect my young charges here."

She looked around, and noticed that the streets were slowly emptying of people.

"You sit atop your little hill and look down, and for what? What do you accomplish? Your training that holds no use? To train for the coming of Tai Lung? He's been defeated, he's been contained, and if he escapes the kung-fu panda will be there to defeat him. What is there for you now?"

Tigress was going to respond sharply, but stopped, stumbling over her thoughts.

"I'm tired," Alexander said with a smile. "Would you please accompany me to my home?"

The lion lived in a house, almost identical to the others that dotted the landscape, though his was slightly larger, more grand, more ornamental. He opened the door and walked inside, and quickly sat on the top of a desk, which he was able to do because of his height. "Where were we?"

"You're tired."

"Ah yes, I am tired." He rubbed his eyes and took a long, deep sigh. "I have some problems with my thoughts; please bare with me when that happens." Another deep breath. "I am dying, Master Tigress. I can push this body only so far before it crumples into dust. Do you know what land we are in?"

"No."

"We are far to the south of your lands, the dark continent, so they call it. I was born here, in this land of constant war. And I did what was expected of me. I took my father's burden; I fought for fortune and territories. I was the perfect soldier. Such a boring life, a poor life. Are your paws dirty?"

She looked down, not immediately understanding the metaphorical nature of his question.

"My paws are covered. Drenched with red. Are your paws dirty?"

"No," she said slowly.

"Then I pray that they remain that way. Taking a life is not an easy burden to bear. Someone like Werner or the snow leopard, that's easy. You know what lies forward for people like them: more death, more violence, more innocent flames extinguished in a gust. It is merciful to end the vicious cycle. But there are others. Lives that could continue forward and blossom into any range of things. Those are the lives that stain your hands no matter how you scrub and wash. So I decided to change, before it was too late. I built this town, this Haven; open to those who desire peace.

"I have lost track of how many years I fought to keep this land safe through my own strength. Raiders, warlords, zealots, all want to rape and pillage because that's all they know how to do. It's not an easy life, but it's one that I take pride in. To protect others. Something you know something about."

A dizzy breath.

"But my time draws to a close, I can feel it. I can feel the stiffness in my bones, the awkward gait as I walk. My hearings is almost gone, my eyesight will go next, its already blurred. My time grows to a close. But before that, I need a successor.

"I give you this chance to help others. Over these many years I have gained much. I will bestow upon you all of it, my power, my fortunes. In time, with proper resources, you will surpass the Dragon Warrior. And all I ask is that you carry out my legacy. You protect these good people from the dangers of the land. And you spread my word of peace, and bring peace to other lands. Take my burden. You will require power of course, but I can give you that. More power than you could ever hope for."

"There are no doors here, just four walls."

"Yes? What is your point?"

"How is anyone to leave?"

"This is Haven," Alexander said, confused. "No one wants to leave."

"But if they should want to?"

"No one wants to," the lion said, still confused. He worked to stand up, which took several tries. He brushed his suit of invisible dust.

"I am grateful for the offer," Tigress said with a bow. "But I must decline, and I ask for the freedom to return to my master."

"No one wants to leave. You are just a little delirious. You've had a lot happen over the past few days. Just stay with me for the night and you will be fine. I've prepared a wonderful meal, you must be hungry."

"I thank you," she said again with a slight bow. "But I must be leaving."

She turned to open the door, but a furry wall pushed it closed and held it like that. She turned to see the muscle tense and pull as she struggled with all her might to open the door. She ducked as the lion punched a fist, breaking through the wood and splintering it to pieces. Turning, she hooked a punch into his side, but pulled her hand back when her knuckles broke on the slab of muscle. It was worse than punching the boulder. He took her by the skull, he wrapped his massive hand around her skull, and threw her, but she was agile and graceful. Rather than slamming into a wall, she landed, bracing herself in the ground, claws digging deeply into the floor to slow her to a stop.

Even the slight exertion left Alexander out of breath. He took a long moment to pull his arm out of the mangled door, and another to slow his heart, and Tigress stared at him, in awe of this amazing creature, unable to strike when he was so clearly handicapped. Some would say her honor was a weakness, she was certain that Werner would take this opportunity to kill the lion. But she was not Werner.

He stumbled forward, dull, slowed. Pathetically easy to avoid. He fought drunkenly, cursing and thrashing. A cornered man could be more dangerous than a master, but Tigress slipped through his assault to strike precise, delicate punches into his chest, just as she had worn down the rock days before. With each punch, she felt his chest grow softer, the muscle and bone beginning to yield. Her hands ached, her lungs burned, the weight of her starvation was fully upon her with this exertion. But she swallowed that agony and continued.

Alexander gave a grunt when a rib gave way under her knuckle. His roar shook the very foundation of the town and broke windows, and continued on until Tigress swung a kick into his snout. He stumbled, spiting up teeth. Tigress took her time to select a war hammer, a trophy of some far off battle that she had never heard of. It was huge and heavy, she had to struggle to hold it. Alexander was still whining when she swung it across his jaw, knocking him out.

**This chapter was pretty long, so i decided to break off the epilogue and post it seperately. I don't want you to get overwhelmed by all the big words on the screen. Fear not though, i'll post the epilogue tommorow, or Wednesday at the latest.**


	7. Fearful Symmetry

_Epilogue_

Word spread quickly when Master Tigress was first seen approaching the valley from over the horizon, the sun at her back. Every day search parties had been sent out in the hopes of finding some trace of her, but so far they had found nothing. As such, only Master Shifu was at the temple. The rest of the five and the panda were scouring the countryside, day and night, returning only to report their lack of success.

Tigress imagined she looked quite different, which would explain why the pigs recoiled slightly at the sight of her. She had lost some weight, and was visibly thinner. Her fur was overgrown and tangled and messy, grimy with dirt and some dried blood. Her clothes were barely rags that still clung to her, stitches at the seams somehow holding despite all they had been through. Or maybe the pigs recoiled because of the company she kept.

Werner hadn't resisted as she tied the leash around his neck, and he didn't protest when ordered to carry the unconscious Alexander, despite the ridiculousness of difference in their size. He had to drag the massive lion along by both ankles, struggling and huffing, but he didn't complain. He _had_ cried out for a long time when she popped his arm back into place as there was no way he could perform his duty with one arm, but that was it, and she let that slide. She wanted him to resist, to try and flee so she would have an excuse to punish him, but he just nodded at every order she gave. Alexander hadn't proved much of a problem either. When he regained consciousness, he whined about his chest, but any struggles were feeble. "Give him some of zis, and it'll put him out for a few days," Werner explained, yanking a weed out of the ground. The wolf was helpful, guiding her through the maze of trees back to the valley. Not for the first time she wondered if this was a trick, if he was trying to lull her into a false sense of security, but he attempted absolutely nothing.

"Tigress," Shifu gasped. He sped down the remaining steps and leapt, wrapping stubby arms around Tigress' neck and embracing her tightly. For how different Tigress may look, how abused and beaten, he looked much worse. Eyes were bloodshot, and tiny body was scrawny and frail from a lack of eating. Fur wasn't brushed or trimmed, and spilled out of his sleeve and over the collar of his robe, which was just as grimy and stained as her own clothes. She had no clue the last time he had slept, probably not since her disappearance. She hugged her master with one arm, knowing not to let go of the leash that held Werner at bay.

"I am sorry, Tigress. I shouldn't have left you to the danger. I should have known. I should have-"

"Please master, it's alright." She paused, thinking to herself. She bowed to one knee and clapped her hands in a show of respect. "I now understand your warning of strength, the dangers of good of intentions. I understand that there is evil in this world, and even more important than the strength to defeat it, is the wisdom so we don't become like it, to avoid temptation. There is still much I need to learn."

Sensing Werner attempting to slip away as she was distracted, Tigress gave the leash a sharp yank and pulled him down, placing a foot on his head to keep him submissive. Alexander stirred, apparently the root was wearing off. She had to make arrangements for his imprisonments. Then march back to Haven and tear the wall down.

Shifu took a respectful stance himself. "I have always believed, and feared, that you were as good a student as Tia Lung, but I see now, that you are better."

Tigress smiled. "Thank you master. Now, where's Po? I could really use some noodles."

**I would have included this in the prior chapter, but like I said, that one was so long already, I wanted to break it up. I hope that you've enjoyed reading.**


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